Egbert l



(No Model.)

B. L. BRETH.

OAR COUPLING.

No. 403,640. Patented May. 21, 1889.

NITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

ROBERT L. BRETH, OF NEWV IVASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,640, dated May 21, 1889.

Application filed March 6, 1889. Serial No. 302,055. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. BRETH, of New Vashington, in the county of Clearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Car Couplin g, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to furnish a strong and durable self-coupler that will automatically couple the cars, and which may be applied to cars now in use at but a slight expense.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents two opposing car-couplings embodying my invention, the one being in vertical longitudinal section and the other in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a front view of one of my improved couplers. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the coupling-gate, and Fig. l is a perspective view of one form of coupling-hook.

A in the drawings represents a draw-head, which may be of any approved construction, 13 being the draw-bar thereof. Nithin the draw-head is fitted a rubber buffer, C, to receive the thrust of the coupling-hook D of my improved coupler, said hook being formed with a head, (l, forming a shoulder, (Z'. \Vithin the draw-head, at the 'front end thereof, is pivoted a couplinggate, E, on a horizontal pivot, e, to swing vertically, said gate being a gravitating one, to normally close the entrance to the draw-head A, and as the coupling hook D enters the latter its head d forces upward the gate E, which, when the head cl has moved inward sufficiently, drops behind the same and engages the shoulder d, preventing the withdrawal of the said hook. Above the draw-head is pivoted an elbow-lever, F, to whose short arm f is connected by a link, G, the gravitating coupling-gate E, whereby the latter may be raised-'when it is desired to uncouple the cars.

Instead of pivoting the lever F directly to the draw-head, I prefer to pivot it in the bracket h, that is formed upon or secured to a frame, H, of rectangular form, adapted to be slipped over a draw-head to form a buffer,

and provided with rearwardlyextending flanges 72. 7b, the said frame being secured to the draw-head in any suitable manner-as, for instance, by bolts I, which are passed through the flanges h and through lugs or cars A, or other fixed part of draw-head A.

The coupling-gate E is formedwith downwardly-extending side flanges, e, for giving strength to thegate and guiding the coupling-hook.

The coupling-hook D may be formed with a slot, D, as in Fig. 4:, if desired, for receiving the coupling-pin of an ordinary link-and-pin coupling, whereby a car having the said old form of coupling may be coupled to one provided with my improved automatic coupling.

The coupling, it will be seen, may be applied to 0rdinarily-constructed draw-heads at but little extra expense. Being a positivelyacting self-coupler, the necessity for the trainhands entering between the cars is obviated.

A stop-block, J, is secured to or formed upon the draw-head at the rear of the gate E, against which block the head of the couplinghook will strike should it be accidentally lifted by the said gate in uncoupling the cars.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, in a oanooupling, of a coupling-gate and a detachable frame adapted to be placed over a draw-head and carrying an operating-lever for lifting said gate, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the draw-head, of a rubber buffer fitted therein, a coupling-gate also within the draw-head, a coupling-hook, and a lifting-lever for said gate,substantial1y as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the following elements in combination, viz: a draw-head, A, provided with rubber buffer C therein, the couplinggate E, formed with side flanges, c, and pivoted within the draw-head by pivot-pin e, a detachable frame, ll, formed with flanges h and bracket 71, the lever F, pivoted in said bracket and connected with gate E by a link, G, and the bolts 1, securing the frame H to the draw-head by passing through the flanges h and lugs A, substantially as described.

ROBERT L. BRETH.

\Vitnesses:

D. ST. GEORGE FRASER, AMBROSE BRETH. 

